John Huff/Staff photographer
Amal Bensoudad kisses her newborn son, Adam Myassar, after being the first expectant mother to go into labor in Wentworth-Douglass Hospital's new Birth Center in the Garrison Wing.

DOVER — At seven pounds, Gavin Stockman made his entrance into the world in style on Tuesday as the first baby born in the new Garrison Wing at Wentworth-Douglass Hospital.

In an oversized light green room with gender neutral colored furniture, two-toned wood floors and large windows overlooking Central Avenue, proud parents Shannon Ainsworth and Christopher Stockman, of Somersworth, said the environment of the new wing was like giving birth in a hotel.

“It doesn't even look like a hospital room,” Christopher said, adding the rooms are not only great for the mothers, but are great for the fathers, because the furniture is large enough to rest on.

The wing officially opened on Tuesday, and welcomed baby Gavin at 2:46 p.m.

“It kind of feels like, not home, but it has a home environment,” Shannon said while cradling Gavin, who slowly began to open his eyes to peek around the brand new room. “It is really nice.”

Just outside the room, the halls are also larger than those in the old birthing unit, and they are lined with family-friendly foxes, bears, rabbit, moose and other animal cutouts on the walls. The theme of the floor is “Mystic Meadows.”

Click image to enlarge

John Huff/Staff photographer
Christopher Stockman and Shannon Ainsworth hold their newborn son, Gavin Stockman, who was the first baby born in Wentworth-Douglass Hospital’s new constructed Garrison Wing.

Shannon delivered her 6-year-old daughter, Aaliyah, in the old birthing unit at WDH. Aaliyah had been a few days overdue and Shannon was in labor for almost 25 hours.

Unlike his older sister, Gavin was “super quick,” she said. Shannon was in actual labor for just two hours.

Just 18 minutes before Gavin was born, Adam Myassar was born at the hospital, but not in the new wing. His mother, Amal Bensoudad, labored in the new wing, but had a Caesarean section and delivered Adam in the old unit.

The new unit does have a dedicated C-section operating room, which will be open shortly.

Originally from Morocco, Amal and Adam's father, Adil Myassar, have a 3-year-old son, Abdou, who was also born at the hospital.

Adil said the new wing and the size of the rooms is “excellent,” just like the nurses who helped deliver his second son.

To thank them, Adil made baklava, a treat he said many people eat back in Morocco. Adil is a chef at a Portsmouth restaurant.

Just around the corner from the rooms where Gavin and Adam were being cooed are other rooms to help facilitate the newborns. Hannaford supermarket donated $250,000 to the new wing and have a nursery named after them. The nursery houses a stabilization unit, an isolation room, a room for car seat testing and lactation visits, and rooms made for twins. Some lights in the room are shaped like butterflies and bumblebees to go along with the theme on the floor. There is also a playroom with books, toys and seats for adults.

The floor also has a Jacuzzi room and a water birth room.

Vice President of Community Relations, Noreen Biehl, said the hospital averages three babies a day. Last year, a little under 1,000 babies were born at WDH.

Biehl said that of the entire new wing, including both the Women's and Children's floor, the main floor consisting of the new library, the Chaplain, Social Work Services, Community Relations and Human Resource, classrooms and auditoriums for training, lectures and continuing education and the two floors of patient rooms, nothing is missing. She said the wing is large, bright, pleasant, and best of all, it is brand new.

The Garrison Wing took two years to build and is now a working part of the hospital.